For police departments, training with a PRISM simulator is more effective than sending officers to a shooting range for target practice and less expensive than using Simunition, a nonlethal training ammunition, said Milios, a retired Allentown (PA) police officer. It’s also safer, he said.

The simulator, which cost roughly $50,000, is run by computer software, so setup requires little more than a couple mouse clicks, said Milios, who taught at the Allentown Police Academy during his time with the city. A group of 10 students can run through dozens of scenarios in a few hours, he said.